Sensor elements and analyzer circuits of micromechanical sensors are frequently manufactured in different microelectronic and/or micromechanical components and housed in a housing. In order to connect the different components to one another and/or to the housing, different bonding methods (e.g., wirebonding method, bond pads) or generally a flip-chip technology are used for electrical contacting. To implement long-lasting and functional connections, high requirements are necessary for the packaging and interconnection technology. Thus, it is to be ensured in flip-chip technology that the contacting side of a substrate chip which contains the sensor elements does not have any fragile structures which may be destroyed when the substrate chip is placed on the carrier substrate.
A method for tailoring the contacting of a sensor element with an integrated circuit in a housing is described in the document German Published Patent Application No. 103 50 551 (not a prior publication).
A sensor which has both a sensor element and parts of the analyzer circuit on the same substrate is described in the document German Published Patent Application No. 103 47 215, which is also not a prior publication.
A further possibility for integrating the sensor elements and the readout circuit in one component is described in German Published Patent Application No. 100 42 945 and in German Published Patent Application No. 100 58 864. In the component suggested therein, a sensor element is positioned vertically in relation to the readout electronics. In DE 100 42 945 A1, the sensor element and the readout electronics are separated from one another by a cavity having support structures, the support structures simultaneously representing an electrical connection between the sensor element and the readout circuit.
In contrast, German Published Patent Application No. 100 58 864 describes a micromechanical structure for integrated sensor systems, in which different layer sequences are applied to a substrate and processed. Through selective etching of the applied layers, metal structures are produced which are used for support of the micromechanical structure and for electrical contacting of the readout electronics situated vertically underneath the sensor structure.